I’m a big Ramsey fan when it comes to managing personal debt. I believe most families who find themselves buried in debt would benefit from following Dave’s 7 Baby Steps. However, when it comes to advice on college, his counsel could use a bit of a tune up.  Student Loans  The federal student loan system […]

I live in a small, affluent, Midwestern city. Eighty percent of the local high school graduates intend to matriculate, with visions of a well-paying, professional white-collar job in a comfy air-conditioned office. Nationwide, that number is forty percent. Eighty percent or forty percent, most of these students are making a huge mistake.  Supply (college grads) […]

Most students who enroll in a community college (80%) intend to transfer to a four-year institution to earn a bachelor’s degree. Their plan is to save money by: Living at home and commuting. Earning their credits in the required general education classes at a bargain price. This strategy is called the 2+2 Model. Unfortunately, this […]

When JFK was president, few high school graduates (7%) went on to college. College was rigorous. The students who tended to go on to college were the smart kids—the top 10% was the unwritten rule of thumb. If a student managed to graduate from college in something or other, it was assumed they were reasonably […]

There is an ad running on television where a crusty old fart sweeps a bunch of books off his desk and growls, “Let me be direct, you are doing TV wrong.”  Well, here’s another crusty old fart telling you, “You are doing college wrong,” specifically, you are going about choosing a college in the wrong way. […]

I keep trying to explain to you that financing your college education with student loans is really risky because the outcome is uncertain. I don’t seem to be having a lot of success. I thought I would try something different.  I’m going to start by sharing the facts of life with you. No, not those […]

I spend way too much time on these “going to college” websites. Here’s something, written by a parent, I read recently.  What Did YOU Do When Your Kid Was Accepted to College?  “It is one of life’s big moments, a never-to-be-forgotten day, when your teen logs onto the website of the college they will attend […]

Tip 1 Do Your FAFSA Homework.  I get multiple, silly questions about the FAFSA every week. For example,  “Who pays for college in FAFSA?”  “What are the requirements to keep FAFSA?”  The FAFSA is an application, not financial aid. It is an important tool. Yet most parents and students spend very little time thinking about […]

The New York Times recently published a story exhorting their readers that we have an ongoing college enrollment crisis.  “College Enrollment Drops, Even as the Pandemic’s Effects Ebb.”  The editors at the New York Times seem to have forgotten Stephen R. Covey’s The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, which was on their best seller […]

“In their lifetime, on average, college graduates will make a gazillion dollars more than a high school graduate. It stands to reason everyone should be going to college.” How many times have you heard some version of this statement egging kids on to attend college? While I admit the statement sounds like it should be true, […]